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Analytics part of Jaguars game plan

New Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said at his introductory news conference last week that he's a big believer in analytics as a way to make better decisions on and off the football field.

The more baffling question is, why hasn't every NFL executive already embraced this philosophy? With so much parity in the league, and each team desperately seeking some form of competitive edge, the power of math and technology should be utilized far more than it is now.

Football execs and scouts watch endless film of free-agent players and college prospects, yet remain incapable of accurately projecting the true worth of those players. Coaches draw up game plans knowing the general tendencies of opposing coaches and players, but not specific ones. Finely detailed statistical analysis and new technology would vastly improve these processes.

Analytics might also enhance in-game strategy. Several statistical analyses show that coaches often make the wrong decision to punt on fourth down, rather than go for it, costing their team an average of nearly a point per game. Yet coaches continue to ignore the data, which shows that most are more passive than ever on fourth down.

Coaches defend this traditional and less aggressive strategy by not wanting to make a mistake or shift momentum. The next Jaguars coach won't need this excuse. Tony Khan is the Jaguars' VP of football technology & analytics, and his father owns the team. Presumably, a failed fourth-down risk, or the release of a player whose production isn't what it seems, will mean answering to the media, and not anybody else.

Age not just a number to Gundy

It was announced last week that Oklahoma State and defensive coordinator Bill Young were parting ways, but as is usually the case, there's more to it than that.

Young, 66, told the Tulsa World that head coach Mike Gundy made clear to him before the season that he was too old to recruit players.

Young said Gundy told him last February that college football is a young man's game. "I was the face of the defense, and he thought my age would hurt recruiting, and he thought players wouldn't play for me," Young said.

Young said he is not mad at Gundy, appreciated that he was allowed to coach the 2102 season and has no plans to retire.

"I told him if he wouldn't mind, please don't put this [information] out there until I have time to finish the season and look for a new job," Young told the newspaper. "He agreed to that. He was very accommodating and was trying to help. It's easier to get a job in this business if you have got one."

Oklahoma State finished in the middle of the Big 12 in total defense and scoring defense last season.

"I'm not retiring," Young said. "I'm not a quitter. I feel like I can coach several more years."